Improvement in apparatus for casting steel



RIDE.

Apparatus for Casting Steei.

T. GRIT'G'HLOW & l.

Patented June 29,1875.

INVENTOR rVgTNESSES J Attorneys fHE GRAPHIC CO.PHOTO -LITI L39 8:41 PARKPLACE N.Y.

ivrrnn STATES PATENT OFFI IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 165,068, dated J une29, 1875 application filed June 18, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS ORITGHLOW and JAMES KIDD, of Baldwin, in thecounty of Dauphin and in the State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Process and Apparatus for tion,and Fig. 3 a top view.

In the figures, A represents a flask or mold, which is made in any ofthe usual ways, and of suitable size. The bottom of this flask rests ina base, which is flanged, as seen, so that wet sand or other materialmay be inserted between the flange and the bottom of the mold, to makethe bottom air-tight. A shortdistance below the mouth of the flask is aledge out within the mouth. Resting upon this ledge is the bottom of ahopper, O. A flange is thus formed of the mouth of the flask, andbetween this and the hopper wet sand or other suitable material may beplaced for making the mouth air-tight. M represents an opening in theflask, which is covered by glass, so that the interior of the flask maybe seen. L represents apipe, which is connected to the flask near'itsupper end, and which passes to an air-pump. The air is extracted fromthe flask by means of the air-pump through this pipe. I) represents apipe or sleeve, which passes over a suitable guidestem, and which isprovided on its lower end with a circular valve, a, to close avalve-opening, E, in the bottom of the hopper. The stem is connected toa cross-piece, 0, at the top of the hopper. The valve-sleeve is raisedor lowered by means of a crank, 70, as seen.

In using this flask, the bottom and top are first made air-tight, asmentioned. The valve closesits opening, and then the molten metal ispoured in the hopper. The air having been exhausted from the flask, thevalve a is slightly raised, so that the metal will pass into the flaskin a small. stream. The metal, it will be seen, is divided by thecircular valve in its middle, and thus passes to the flask in the shapeof a thin hollow cylinder. The influence of the vacuum is thus broughtto bear upon almost every particle of metal, and the gases and air whichget into it during the process of decarbonizatiou areremoved and carriedaway by the air-pump.

It will be seen that the hopper is provided with a cover, which isintended to exclude the air or partially exclude the air from the hopperduring the time the metal is passing down to the mold. WVe desire toprevent atmospheric pressure upon the metal. A partial vacuum may beformed, allowing a suflicient amount of air to remain to allow the metalto a pass down slowly into the mold.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a flask in which a vacuum is maintained, of theclosed hopper 0, provided with a valve, the valve-opening constructed toallow the molten metal to flow into the flask in a thin stratum, for thepurposes .set forth.

THOS. GRITCHLOYV. J AMES KIDD.

WVitnesses:

E. G. PAINTER, WILLIAM LONGENEBER,

